You Faked Your Death for Her？Great！I Had His Baby Chapter 05

You Faked Your Death for Her？Great！I Had His Baby Chapter 05

Sophie looped her arm through Ethan’s and rubbed a hand over her still–flat stomach.

Her eyes reddened

“Ethan, thank you for agreeing to get legally married in a civil ceremony with me.”

“I don’t want people saying my baby doesn’t have a father when I give birth.”

She looked up at him.

1 won’t be like Evelyn. I won’t push you for a wedding or keep asking you to make us public.”

“We can just get married quietly in a civil ceremony and give the baby a legally recognized father.”

“After the baby’s born, if this ever gets to be too much for you, I’ll take the baby and go far away. I won’t interfere with you and Evelyn.”

Ethan hesitated for a few seconds.

Then his thumb brushed beneath her reddened eye

“Enough”

Tm the one asking you to settle for less.”

“Evelyn wants marriage like she’s collecting a debt. She never stops pushing.”

This year, I can finally breathe for a while. I can stay with you.”

He paused

“And she won’t find out about the civil ceremony.”

Sophie’s face lit up

She tightened her grip on his arm and hurried up the steps with him.

I suddenly found the whole thing almost funny.

He’d staged an entire disappearance, convinced I’d stay right where he left me and never move on for a year

Yet he’d barely walked out my door before bringing another woman here to marry her.

I turned around and started down the steps.

Behind me, the glass door of the licensed civil wedding chapel was halfway closed when it

suddenly stopped.

For some reason, Ethan had looked back.

Through the narrowing gap, he caught sight of a familiar figure walking away.

His step faltered.

“Wait.”

He reached for the glass door.

“Ethan?”

Sophie called from behind him.

He ignored her and took another step.

Then he saw a man’s hand settle on the familiar woman’s shoulder.

The man’s profile came into view.

Ethan didn’t recognize him.

He stopped short.

His brow furrowed, and a faint, self–mocking smile touched his mouth.

Just someone with a similar back.

Evelyn wanted marriage like she was collecting a debt. Her heart and mind were completely wrapped up in him.

How could she possibly be walking away with another man’s hand on her shoulder?

“Ethan, what are you doing?”

Sophie followed his gaze and smiled.

“We haven’t even gotten married yet. Don’t tell me you’re running away halfway through.”

“Yeah.”

Chapines

Ethan looked away.

Sophie pulled him a few steps farther inside, but he couldn’t help glancing back one more time.

The two people were already gone.

“Ethan?”

Sophie tilted her face up at him, her eyes reddening again.

“Are you… regretting this?”

He looked at her.

Then at the hand protecting her stomach.

He laughed.

“You could regret it before I ever would.”

“You’re the one getting the bad end of this deal.”

“Even this civil ceremony is only so the baby can have a legal father listed on the birth paperwork.”

“We’ll divorce in a year.”

“Where am I supposed to find another woman this understanding?”

They walked into the civil ceremony lobby side by side.

Fifteen minutes later, Sophie stood holding their marriage certificate, smiling through reddened

eyes.

She rose onto her toes to kiss him.

Ethan froze for a moment.

Suddenly, the marriage certificate felt heavier than it should.

Getting legally married hadn’t been part of his original plan.

And after the divorce, there would be no changing the fact that he’d been married before.

Evelyn loved him enough not to care.

But Evelyn’s parents…

Better to make sure neither of them ever found out

With that thought, he called his assistant.

“Buy a few things and go visit Evelyn’s parents.”

“Tell them I only went away to challenge myself.”

“Tell them Evie’s still on my mind, and ask them to stop pushing about when we’re finally getting married.”

“Tell them not to worry.”

He hung up and let out a breath of relief.

The plan was for him to “go missing” on the way to the Presidential Traverse.

His own phone wasn’t even with him anymore.

Which meant he couldn’t contact Evelyn for an entire year.

Until his disappearance became official, his hiking buddies would handle any messages from Evelyn.

Nothing should go wrong.

As they passed the seating area near the entrance, Ethan slowed.

Something on one of the chairs caught his eye.

A champagne–gold wedding favor box.

A staff member walked over and picked it up.

“A newlywed couple who were here earlier gave these to the staff.”

“Pretty thoughtful.”

Ethan stared at the box.

Something about it looked familiar.

He just couldn’t remember where he’d seen it before.

“Ethan?”

Sophie leaned closer.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.”

He looked away.

“Let’s go.”

Outside, the sunlight hit hard enough to make him squint.

The marriage certificate in his pocket pressed against his thigh.

Two thin sheets of paper.

Almost weightless.

His new phone buzzed.

A message from one of his hiking buddies.

[Ethan, we texted Evelyn the way you would, but she barely reacted.]

Ethan frowned.

That wasn’t right.

In his mind, Evelyn should’ve been checking in every hour.

Where are you?

Do you have a signal?

Are you safe?

How could she not react?

She was probably still mad about the canceled wedding.

Still mad he hadn’t sweet–talked her enough.

Ethan scoffed and shoved the phone back into his pocket.

Women were like that.

Spoil them too much, and they started pushing their luck.

Give them a few cold days, and they’d come right back on their own.